Safety razor



Sept 1935 I E I ,HJY

SAFETY RAZOR Filed Oct. 24, 1952 f'zz/eni ar I gay/z fizce Patented Sept. 3, 19 35 l r q a UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE SAFETY RAZOR Joseph Rice, Chicago, 111.

Application October 24, 1932, Serial No. 639,202

2 Claims. (Cl. 30-96) My invention relates to safety razors and more side. One of the difficulties encountered with a particularly to a novel device used in combination razor blade is to get the backing member to have with the ordinary safety razor having a backing asmooth surface at the edge. I have illustrated member, a guard, and a blade clamped between at I2 and I3 the results of the razor backing mem- IS the guard and the backing member. her being dropped or of being poorly finished in 5 My invention contemplates the provision in this the first place. These depressions and bumps at combination of a cushioning sheet interposed be-- the edge would, if the razor blade were pressed tween the backing member and a blade, this sheet against them, cause distortion at the edge of the being adapted to act as a cushion to equalize the blade so that instead of extending in a direct blade pressure at all points. The cushioning plane it would be distorted out of shape. Natul0 sheetsinay be employed on both sides of the blade rally such a condition does not make for proper or on one side only although I find the best results shaving. to be obtained when it is used onboth sides as By employing the yielding cushion sheets I0 shown in Fig.1. and I I, which are much softer than the backing I I will describe the preferredform of the invenmember or the blade, most of these irregularities 15 tion by reference to the accompanying drawing are taken up in the cushioning member and thus wherein-- the edge of the razor blade is held more nearly Fig. 1 is a transverse sectional view through a in a straight line; in fact, the cushioning memrazor of a well known type showing the applicabers I0 and I I act as shims to take up the unevention of my invention thereto; ness of both the guard and the backing member to 20 Fig. 2 is an enlarged sectional view at the line thus equalize the blade pressure so that it will 22 of Fig. 1; maintain its normal straight edge after being Fig. 3 is a plan view of the cushioning sheet reclamped in the razor. J moved from the razor. When the cushion sheet made of paper becomes Referring now in detail to the drawing, I show wet, it acts further as a hydraulic shock absorber 95 in Fig. 1 a razor having a handle 5, a guard 6, toprevent the edge of the blade from vibrating and a backing member I. As is usual in this type as it has a tendency to do. The yielding action of of razor, the backing member I has a projecting the sheets also help to hold the blade in its set stud 8 which is screw-threaded into the handle 5 position and allows for greater latitude in adjustso as to clamp the guard 6 down against the blade ing the clamping force by screw threads connect- 30 9. I have shown interposed on the opposite sides ing the handle and the member 8. of the blade the two cushioning sheets I0 and I I It is obvious, of course, that the invention is not which, it will be noted, terminate substantially at limited to the particular type of razor shown as the edge of the backing member 'I and which it may be used in various other types equally as cover substantially all of the surface of the backwell. 35 ing member that is engaged by the blade. The I find thatdue to the equalizing effect of these manner of applying the cushioning sheets, it is cushioning sheets there is much less danger of believed, will be obvious as they are simply cut cutting the face than without such sheets. This out and placed into position. These cushioning is no doubt due to the fact that the edge of the 40 sheets, however, produce an entirely unexpected blade is held more nearly straight and also be- H) and'unusual result in connection with the razor. cause the blade is not solidly backed up and, They may be made of any suitable type of matetherefore, may yield away from a rigid obstrucrial--such for example as paper, cork, asbestos, tion. a soft metal such as tinfoil. and in fact any mate- Having thus described my invention, what I 5 rial which will act as a cushion between hard claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Pat- H razor blade surface and the hard backing member out is: I surface. I preferably use paper both for the sake 1. In a razor the combination with a blade of of economy and because it is water absorbent, a backing member and a guard member therefor, and, when it becomes soaked with water, produces together with a shim clamped between the backan additional cushioning action which would not ing member and the blade, said shim being con- 50 otherwise be obtained. structed of water absorbent paper so that when Referring now to Fig. 2, I have illustrated a the razor is wet the water in the paper acts to greatly enlarged view of the edge of the razor I prevent vibration of the blade, said shim havin where the backing member I, cushioning memits side edges terminating short of the blade bers I0 and Il, andthe blade 9 are seen from the edges and substantially even with the side edges 55 of the backing member whereby to expose the cutting edges of the razor blade for the shaving operation.

2. In a razor the combination with a blade of a backing member and a guard member therefor, together with shims of yieldable material clamped between the members and the blade to even out the clamping tension on the blade, the

material of said shims being water absorbent, the side edges of the shims terminating short of the blade edges so as not to obstruct the cutting by the blade edges, the shim between the backing member and the blade being completely covered by the backing member.

JOSEPH RICE. 

